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Universal Audio Apollo Twin X Duo ($1200) IConnectivity AUDIO4c Dual USB-C Audio and MIDI Interface ($400) Solid State Logic SSL2 2x2 USB Audio Interface ($270) M-Audio AIR 192|8 USB Audio Interface ($240) But for the impatient reader, here's a quick rundown of the best audio interfaces for mac users:įocusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface ($120) Steady on, cowboy! There's a whole bunch of considerations to take into account when choosing an audio interface. OK, What Is The Best Audio Interface For Mac Computers? You can't plug your trusted nearfield monitors into a sound card.Īnd what happens when you decide you do actually want to lay down some vocals? Or plug in your midi keyboard? Or take your music into the live arena, a la Deadmau5?įor all this, and a whole lot more, you'll need an external audio interface.
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You could just plug your 'phones in to the built-in headphone output found on all mac computers, and you're away!īut if you want the best for your music (and why wouldn't you, you crazy bear!) you'll want to hear it at its full sonic potential. You're a sample-master and everything is produced 'inside the box'. OK, so maybe you're not recording acoustic guitar. It's fine if you're checking out your Discover Weekly on a Monday morning, but not what you want when you're trying to capture that delicious acoustic guitar passage you've just written. The input and output quality on these built-in sound cards is not great though. That's how you hear the weird frog sound when you get notifications or talk to people on Zoom calls (other video conferencing is available). You want to know more about audio interfaces for Mac, right?Īll Mac computers come with a sort-of audio interface, in the form of a sound card. Some have multiple connectivity options allowing for more flexibility.įor a more detailed guide on audio interfacesīut read that later. Audio interfaces connect via USB, Thunderbolt, and (if you're living in the past) Firewire. Put simply, an audio interface for mac (or indeed for PC) is a device that plugs into your computer and enables you to get sound in and out of it. So you can spend less time researching which graphics card works best with which motherboard, and more time focusing on your music.Īnd if you're making music, you'll need a way to get sound in and out of your computer without sacrificing any quality. Mac users don't have to worry about components inside the box not talking to each other. Part of this is the plug-and-play aspect of these machines. And while PCs are narrowing the gap in terms of reliability and functionality, when it comes to making music the Mac is still considered a thoroughbred machine. The sleek exterior and OS of the Mac has long been associated with the creative world, whether it's music production, graphic design, or filmmaking.
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